Gal #1 Joins the Cool Party!

The Players

I love ice cream sandwiches. They are best when the outsides are crispy and the inside is rock solid.  I was looking forward to this variation.  My first tip: Turbinado Sugar plays a very small role in this recipe and is very expensive.  Don't tell Mr. #1 how little of this I used.  :)  Tip #2: Buy more than two limes.  I could have used more zest.(btw, I read a great tip for using up limes and lemons.  Slice thin, lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid.  After frozen, store in a ziplock bag and use them to add to cold beverages.  They add flavor and help keep the beverage cold!)

Mix

Mold & Measure

Slice & Dice (just slice, really)

Adding zest, sugar & salt

Mixing lime and vanilla!

First sandwich finished!

Ready for the Deep Freeze!

Son #1 gave this a "strong 7."  Great flavor, hard to eat were his comments.( The ice cream is rock solid as opposed to a firm custard.)  I would agree with the strong 7 rating.  When I make these again (oh yes I definitely will) I will add more lime and salt. I kept wanting stronger flavor.  I will also try using a better grade of lime sherbet. Lime flavor can taste dangerously close to clorox sometimes (just my opinion of course!)...I think a better name brand (as opposed to our store brand) might have been limier. (not a word)

I made this recipe over two days (I was going to explain this in the post, but working with my computer today has been the most difficult part of July's challenge!)  I made the cookie dough, shaped and refrigerated it one day, baked and compiled the sandwiches the next.

Lovely recipe!  Thanks Gal #3.  (BTW - no rating from Mr. #1.  He asks to be excused from sweets testing.  He says he misses the menus!!!)

Afterthoughts:  I had another sandwich today...and it's better than yesterday.  There's something about the lime, sugar and salt combo that make it impossible to stop eating.  I ate my first sandwich yesterday after a very heavy Italian meal of Bolognese and homemade garlic bread.  Today I ate my sandwich outside where the contrast of the hot sun and the icy cold treat was delightful.  I hereby up my rating to 8.5!

July: Join the Cool Party

Well as usual faithful Gal #2 did a great June- but some of us had a botched recipe--AKA we ran out of time or ideas and as discussed by the Gals we're editing mid-year. We need some guidance people! Find an idea, try it out, call mid-recipe saying "did yours smell like this?!" That was missing these past few months of our delicious dessert year so I am here to get things started. So back to desserts we go...with some guidance.

Ladies, let's face it...baking while its hot- who wants to do it? Pies, cakes and even cookies are just too hot to make! BUT...this treat is going to heat you up and cool you off. Combine sugar and salt, ice cream and cookies, whats not to love?

Introducing Margarita Ice Cream Sandwiches! These tasty treats sound delicious and look simple enough to make even on the hottest of summer days. So indulge yourselves with the everything summer treat and make sure you make enough to share!

Margarita Ice Cream Sandwich

Gal 2 returns for June

"Last summer, I gave up going abroad and took a staycation in Cornwall. Apart from one gorgeous, glinting day, it rained and blustered and blew, and I loved it. There I was, with a fire burning inside, the mackerel-coloured sea swirling outside, living off the fat, that's to say, the clotted cream of the land.

If you can't find clotted cream (sometimes called Devonshire cream) then feel free to lavishly spoon softly heavy whipped cream onto the scones instead. The buttermilk in these scones only gives them a slight tang, all the better to enjoy the jam and cream on top, but is also what yields such a melting, tender crumb.

These scones do look a bit like they are suffering from cellulite (though I dare say we all might, if we ate too many of them), but proper scones should not have the smooth-sided denseness of the store-bought variety. And they are so worth making. Until you have made a batch of scones you won't have any idea how easy they are to throw together. Frankly, it shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes to make and bake them, from start to finish.

Even though the process is hardly lengthy enough to warrant cooking them in advance, I like to make up quite a big batch - and this recipe will give you about 18 scones - and freeze some (they thaw incredibly quickly) to produce a near-instant cream tea at some future date." - Nigella Lawson, Recipes From the Heart of the Home *Recipe

I substituted 1 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour instead of using all white AP flour. I didn't have Devonshire cream on hand, but I let a stick of real butter sit on the counter and get soft and opened a jar of homemade strawberry jam. The scones are not sweet, but they are the perfect vehicle for sweet toppings. The entire batch was gone in a day (I took them to bible study). Next time I think I'll freeze some. So very easy and delightful.

May: A Special Moment

For May I made something for a bridal shower and decided its the perfect time to post it on the blog. I'm always looking for new tasty items to bring to events, showers, weddings, etc. And we are in wedding season so I thought this a good moment to make something I've wanted to try and haven't.

This recipe is sentimental because it comes from an old cooking magazine of Mrs. Gal #1. She always was getting piles of Taste of Home magazines and I would look through them when she was done and pick out some recipes I would want to try. Up until just recently, these mystery recipes were hidden in a file folder of "to be sorted". Well I sorted and found a keeper! Let me introduce you to...Raspberry Peach Cupcakes.

The Cupcakes

1 cup vanilla or white chips

6 TBSP butter, cubed

1 package white cake mix

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches or frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed and chopped

Lemon Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 TBSP lemon juice

 Fresh raspberries and peach pieces, optional

Directions

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chips and butter. Microwave at 70% power until melted; stir until smooth. IN a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, milk, eggs, vanilla and melted chips; beat in low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Fold in the raspberries and peaches.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Top with fruit if desired. Yield: 2 dozen.

These cupcakes were so easy to put together. I did buy frozen peaches since my grocery had none fresh. I was worried about using a cake batter because I felt they might not taste homemade, but they do! The chef had to sample one before the big party and they were fantastic. The raspberry and peach inside is so sweet and with the sweetness from the white chips you might think it would be too sweet for seconds. But the slight tartness of the lemon frosting was a hit! It added just enough punch to make it possible to have seconds and thirds. And you can be so versatile with this recipe. You could do strawberries and blueberries for Fourth of July. Or pineapple and banana for a Hawaiian theme. I would have put the recommended fruit on top but these cupcakes are getting a special bridal touch! These are definitely going in the "go-to" file. I'm so glad I went through my "sort" file and found these winners! Bon appetite! 

Light April

After my March of goodness with stout and rich chocolate I wanted to try something light and spring-like. I decided to go for this Lemon Cream Pie when I saw the recipe in my cooking magazine I love. Its good for me to make these desserts because it gives all the nutrition information and I can stay on course with my currant fitness plan. I guess its not the best time to try and lose weight when our goal of the year is desserts! =D

This recipe only has a final picture because I learned you move fast when making cream pies. There was a mixer, several pans, a mixture on the stove and lots of quick learning moments. So alas there is only one picture. The ingredients weren't difficult my only concern was the milk and cream cheese on the stove. I was so afraid it would burn but that went fine...it was transferring the entire mixture back into the hot pot...that was when I had to be quick.

I have gotten away with trying to find different secret people to share my recipes with...it has just been shared with honest friends old and new. We all like to get together and try it so I think that is the way I'm headed still. This will be shared with some girlfriends at work so we can all have a little yummyness and a break from the everyday. Its good to have tea and pie...so very royal of us for this month!

So the final consensus....very yummy! It was just the right amount of tart lemon flavor with a sweet flaky crust. It would be good with a pre-made crust as well, since mine was a little thick for the cream. Overall both Mr. Gal #3 and myself enjoyed this light and more-healthy treat for April.

Lemon Pie Recipe

Gal #1 Reports In....Finally

Talk about failure - this year's blog theme was all my idea and I have yet to contribute.  I've been....stressed? busy? sleep deprived? LAZY!!!  And indecisive.

I loved my idea...but then couldn't commit to a secret cookie partner!  I entertained and discarded name after name trying to come up with the perfect plan.  Finally...I decided that there are three people who are the perfect audience for my cookies (or anything else I choose to bake) my Mom & Dad and my Mother-in-Law.

During 2011, I've baked and delivered several different kinds of cookies to the parental units - unfortunately, my motivation to bake and my camera weren't in the same room. 

Enough with the excuses.  Here are the cookies I made and sent to Indiana for Easter!

I took 5 pictures of this ingredient - and this is the only one where the label is legible.  Baker's Ammonia - it is this recipe's secret ingredient.  Not essential - but it gives this cookie such a unique texture and this is what makes it my Mom's favorite cookie.

You get the idea...mix the dough, roll the dough.

Whoops!  That's not cookie dough!  That's a delicious beef dip recipe that I was making at the same time.  How'd that get in there??

Dry toasting pecans to crush for the cookie topping.

Melting chocolate chips...also for the topping.

Voila!  Ok, I skipped a few steps...but here they are.  Delicious Vanilla Dreams...all ready to ship to Indiana.  (I kept a few for myself).
Here's the link from King Arthur Flour.  Easy recipe - but purchasing the secret ingredient is highly recommended!
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/vanilla-dreams-recipe

Gal 2 - April Cupcakes

Cupcakes

2 ounces cake flour (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup egg whites (about 5 large eggs)
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp grated lemon rind

Lemon Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp 1% milk
1-2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Edible flowers (such as pansies or rosebuds) optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place 16 paper muffin cup liners in muffin tins. Set aside.
3. Lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cup; level with knife. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Repeat twice.
4. Beat egg whites and salt with a mixer at high speed until frothy (about 1 minute). Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar a Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. sprinkle flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in after each addition. Stir in vanilla and rind.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. (I used a ziplock bag with a corner cut off. Also be sure you fill the liners from the bottom up without any air pockets as this batter wont settle!) Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. (I found this was too long!! Keep the cupcakes near the middle-top of your oven and watch them closely). Remove from pan, let cool completely on wire rack.
6. To prepare frosting, beat butter with a mixer at high speed until very fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar; beat at low speed until just blended. Add milk and lemon juice, beat until just fluffy. Add more lemon juice as needed to adjust the consistency. Garnish with edible flowers if desired.

I didn't have any edible flowers on hand, but I did have fresh strawberries! There is a little strawberry stand that sits just off the road not far from our house. They grow their strawberries right there beside and behind their stand. it opened last week and I thought fresh California strawberries would be just the right garnish!

These little spring beauties were the highlight of our Bible study the week I had snack!